Aquatic amusement apparatus.



VH. A. MYERS.. AQUATIC AMUSEIVIENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED FEB* 17,1917.

Patented e. H, 19T?.

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A TTORNEY Mmmm.,

H. A. MYERS. l' AQUATIC AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man ria. 11. 1917.

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A TTORNEY H. A. MYERS. AQUATIC A'MUSEIVENT APPARATUS. APPLlcATloN FILEDFEB. l1. 1917.

T9.. Patented Dec.. lll, 1917A A TTURNEY i Maaate. i

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HUBERT MYERS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO;

Specification of Letters Patent.

AQUATC AMUSEBIIIEINT` APPARATUS..

application sie@ 'February 17,191?. serial 149,205.

To all 'whom it mag/concern Be it. known that yl-IUBRT Mimns,a

citizenof the United States of America, and

resident of Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have inventedl a. certainnew:and useful Improve-` ment in Aquatic Amusement Apparatus, "of which thefollowing is a specication'.`

My invention contemplates anyaquatic` amusement-apparatus in which oneor more aquaplanes are propelled along' a predetermined path 4or paths,by any suitable means, but preferably by one ormore traveling cablesoperated by a central power-plant, and the entire apparatusbeingpreferably mounted upon aiioating structure having one or more channels`in which theaquaplanes travel, whereby said,` apparatus c an y be usedintide-water, being adapted to rise and fallfwith the tide withoutinterfe'ring` with the desired` mode of operation thereof.

Generally stated, therefore, the objectof amusement-apparatus of lthisparticular character. y

VTo the 4foregoing and otherl useful ends,

. my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. a,

ln the accompanying` drawings Figure 1 is aplan view, more or lessdiagrammatic in character, of an aquaplane amusement Vapparatusembodying the principles of my'invention.

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of said apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section j of said apparatus.

Fig. 4 isa detail sectional view showing the manner in which theapparatus is used.

Fig; -5 is an enlargeddetail sectionalview of one of the automaticclutches for connecting the aquaplanes with the cables.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation` of the clutch shown iI11Fig.'5.v `V y y Fig.7 is;A a' detail sectional view ofa portion of said apparatus, on thesamescaleas rigs, and.; 4, sheyies tha means. for. Mite? ratenteaneeiniaiv.

matically operating vsaid clutches to connect the aquaplanes to anddisconnect them from" the traveling cables.

Fig. 8 is a planview of the devices shown in Fig. `7.

Fig. 9

`is `a view similar to -Fig. 5, butV showing the clutch open, `it beingan er1-y.

laroed'sectionon line 5-5 in Fig. 7.

s thus illustrated, my invention comprises a floating structure A havingabottom and sides, the sides being provided with iioats B of suchcharacter that the structure can be ioated in a partially submergedposi-` t1o`n. The 4said floating structure, in plan" view, is preferablyo f the shape 'shown in Fig. 1, iand is provided with one or moreendless channels C, lformed by inclinedwalls c, which latter aresupportedon the bottom of Vsaid structure in any suitable or desiredwallsy c, and endless tracks Eare mounted below ,these walls c, upon thebottompof the structure A, and slightly out of line with said slots. Theuprights F travel in said slots, having their lower ends rigidlyconnected to the horizontal supports f, the lat-` ter having wheels Gr`which travel in said tracks. Braces g connect the upper portions of theuprights F with the front and rear ends of the supports f,`so that saiduprights will bebraced against forward or backwardA tilt ordisplacement. Below each slot D, and

slightly out of line therewith, there` is a traveling cable H, and thesecables areV supportedand held to predetermined paths of travel by thesheaves t disposed at dierent points on the structure, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. l, so that said cables will travel freely andeasily and in the desired` manner. A central power-plant is provided for"operating" said cables, comprising a motor or engine I mounted on theplatform" i at `one side of the floatingstructure, and

suitablyconnected with v the horizontal shaft J, which Vshaft extendstransversely of the traveling cables.` Different sized]` cablewheels 1,2and 3 are mounted on 'said shaft J, to engage the different cables,andwhereby the latter will travel at differentspeeds.`

Each cable can be wound one or more times A manner.' Slots D areprovided betweenthe channels, between the highest portions of th`earound itsrespective wheel,` in the manner,

employed for other kinds of apparatus in which traveling cables areemployed, such as` street-car cables, `and each,` :wheel isprefsera-servilletas @f lisa site @tss-letal cable (see Fig. 8.), sothat the clutches K which engage the cables willy readilyypass saidwheels. Each clutch, it will be seen, comprises a pair of jaws la'pivotally connected together at t and provided with rearend-.portions'connected bya rod 5 and a spring 6, said spring Serving Vby, its eXpansion 'to force the two jawstogether and intoengagement with thecable. r The gripping portions of said vjaws are provided with lugs 7to' engage the long cams L,`which late ter are, arranged'adjacent, thewheelsl', 2 and 43,' so that "each clutch will be automatically openedas it approaches saidtwheels automatically closedl Aat a certaindistance after-passingrthe wheels. /Forthis' purpose, said camsl areprovided' with 'tapered-ends,- sothat yone end of each camL gage theselugs will-' enterfbetw'een thelugs 7 and thus separatethe jaws of theclutch', and whereby the other taperedend ofthe 'cam will then disen- Yand allow the jaws toagain gripftheca'ble.v These clutchesare, it willbe platform seen,suitablysecuredr to lthe uprights F, andy with "this-.arrangement each upright will automatically stop yupon, arriving.' atthe softhat the attendant ,can pushy it forwardfby, hand, and wherebyeach 'upwill".

n thenv be automatically connectedu atthe other'r side of; said platformwith its allottedcable.v v Y Y i-he aquaplanes M can `beof the ordinaryorwell-known size and shape, and are connect'edby; Vropes or chainsAvmwiththe tops offtheupr'ights F through the'medium of the cross-bar`sN, whereby each upright F- will propel two aquaplanesone at each sidethereof,v along the channels C, ina manner tha-twill be yreadilyunderstood. Eachaqua plane is provided with a connection or bridle/O forthe rider to grasp Y (see Fig.4.'),- so that'the aquaplfanes canbe-usedor operated like those which are some times towed atz'the` sternof a motor-boat; Obviously, however, the aquaplanesM will beg propelledover predetermined paths of travel, from a central I'powerplana andalong water-channels which; a're'comparatively shallow, 'and @Spell-y'While 'learning .t0

is obvious, of course,l cables l and aquaplanes can be., employed asunder such conditions thatthe personsri'ding on theaquaplan'eswill notbe' in any danger,

lride.l

that as many may be desired, v'depending upon VVthe conditions and;circumstances of 'each case, and.

thatfthefstructure as a wholecan4 have. any

l y desired" Asize or shape, in plan view, although 'l f an elongated,endless course over which the Y aquaplanes mayftravel, is preferable,lBy, Heating the entire structure, in theL mannen shown. 'and described,the apparatus can `be usedfinztide-water, where the water risesand"falls, 'with.o'tin anyway interfering with the1desifredf,mode"ofoperation'- Any suit# able lpower can' be employedl'for loperating the cables, and with the construction shownandudescribed. it is contemplated that with proper management oneattendant will be sufficient.

lVith the foregoing arrangement, the aquaplanes are all'controlled andoperated'- from the central or stationary source of power, and by thisismeant that the stationary source of power or central power-` plant mayremainin a given position during` the operationof the aquaplanes, yandthat the source of power does not travel with each aquaplane. Of course,the entire floating ap paratus cany be moved from one place to airother, but the .power-plant is relatively stationary; while theaquaplanes are traveling around their courses.

What I claim as my invention is l. An aquatic amusement-apparatuscomprising an4 aquaplane, means to propel said aquaplane, and a centralpower-plant.from whichmotive poweris derivedto operate said means, sothatsaid aquaplane .is controlled from a stationary source ofpower.

2. An aquatic amusementrapparatus comprising anaquaplane,instrumentalitics to establish a path of .travel for said aquaplanc, andmeans to propel said aquaplane along said path. y

8. An aquatic amusement-apparatus comprising an aquaplane, means. toVpropel said aquaplane, acentral power-plant to operate said means, and afloating structure to carry said means and plant. A

4. An aquatic amusement-apparatus comprising an aquaplane,instrumentalities to establish a path of travel for said aquaplanc,means `to propel said aquaplane along said path, ,and a floatingstructure to carry said instrumentalities and means. i

5.V Anv aquatic amusement-apparatus comprising an aquaplane, means topropel said aquaplane, and ak central power-plant to operate'- saidmeans, having provisions to gradually start said aquaplane while saidpower-plant is operating saidl meansat full Speed- A j f n .fAnaquaticamusementfapparatus comprisi'ng an aquaplane, instrumentalitiesto establish a path of travel for said aquaplanje, andmeans to propelsaid aquaplane along said path, having provisions to automatically startand stop said aquaplane ,while said means are operating at full speed.

7 An aquatic amusement-apparatus comprising lan aquaplane, meansto-propelsaid aquaplane, and a. central power-plant to operate saidmeans, said means comprising a traveling cable. A

8. An aquatic amusement-apparati]s comprising` an aquaplane,instrumentalities to establish a path of travel for said'aquaplane, andmeans to propel said aqualilane along said-path, said means v comprising1 an4 endless cable, a device to grip said cable, a connection betweensaid aquaplane and cable, and prsng an aquaplane, instrumentalities tomeans to automatically operate said device. establish a path of travelfor said aquaplane,

9. An aquatic amusement-apparatus comand means to propel said aquaplanealong prsing an aquaplane, means to propel said sacl path, saidnstrumentaltes comprising 5 aquaplane, a central power-plant to operateaWater-ohannel, and a guide eXtendng along 15 said means, and a floatingstructure having said Channel for said means. a Watenchannel for saidaquaplane, said Signed by me at Toledo, Chio, this 29th means and`power-plant being carried by said clay of January, 1917. structure.

10 l0. An aquatic amusement-apparatus com- HUBERT MYERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente,

Waahinmon, D.

